the_author() always returns a value when it only should for back compat

Description

the_author() has a deprecated argument set to false, it returns get_the_author() instead of echoing get_the_author().

However, if the_author() is run on its own, it not only echoes get_the_author(), but returns it as well.

This will introduce hypothetical backwards compatibility issues, but if someone is using the_author() to return a value, they're doing it wrong for one of two reasons. One, they're using a deprecated argument, and _deprecated_argument() should now point them to get_the_author(). Or two, they're not using the deprecated argument, and the_author() is echoing whatever they also want returned.

Patch corrects this by adding the word "else" where it was presumably omitted.

My apologies. I am not sure why I thought the other template functions still returned the value they echoed. While I would personally prefer that the template functions also returned the echoed value, if all others don't, I agree with making them all follow the same rules. Whether that means modifying the_author or the other template functions.